Monday, May 29, 2006

Memorial Day For Memorial Day

Everyone knows that I now consider George W. Bush not only to be THE worst President our country never elected, but actually a grave threat to our constitution, our values as a free society, and what may be left of our reputation around the world. Yet, few people know that at one time I had supported him for office, thinking he would bring some values, some honesty, some integrity to the White House and our government. It took Bush five years. Five years of incompetence, cronyism, stupidity, illegal actions, illegal wars, illegal detentions, illegal spying on citizens.

While Katrina blew and New Orleans burnt, Bush and his team were busy setting the world on fire. While Bush praised his cronies, their actions led to thousands of deaths, from Iraq to New Orleans. While Bush played politics with us, Americans, serious new threats to our security emerged.

Not only were we attacked on September 11, 2001, in an attack that could have been avoided had Bush and his team actually paid attention, but we are even less safe today, under this so-called security President. It is on his watch that Bin Laden continues to taunt and threaten us. It is on his watch that global warming ensures we will have more Katrina like hurricanes that we are not prepared for. It is on his watch that Iraq turned into a safe haven, a nursery, for terrorists. Iraq became the new Afghanistan, while the new Afghanistan is becoming more and more like the old Afghanistan, with Taliban growing in power, our troops attacked even today.

During this time Iran has declared its nuclear ambitions. North Korea has played us for fools, and is on the verge of becoming a grave threat to our security, if it is not already so. It is on Bush’s watch that Communism, something American fought decades to defeat, is resurgent. Not only is COMMUNIST China the country that holds a lot of our money and debt, it is communist China that continues to be a long term threat.

While Bush has praised Putin as a friend, Russia is again showing its true colors, because our administration is distracted elsewhere. Russia has become more militant, more aggressive and more like the old Soviet Union. Cuba remains Cuba, a dictatorial Communist regime in our backyard. But, instead of containing Communism, we are seeing a resurgence, a growth of socialism and communism around the globe. From parts of Europe to our own backyard, where Venezuela and Bolivia, two countries with huge natural resources and ability to influence the region, have formed what is really just a new axis of communism, with Cuba providing the third leg. This is happening in OUR backyard.

Sadly, we now have a lame duck President, whose only excuse for the disastrous policies of the last 5 years is that he will not use cowboy lingo anymore. Unfortunately, Mr. Bush, that was hardly the root cause of why we are in this mess. Sure, your saying, “Bring It On” may have given impetus to some insurgents, but it would be foolish to believe that there would not have been an insurgency in Iraq if you had not made that statement.

In fact, the insurgency, the Iraq disaster, was assured. It was guaranteed from the moment you, your Vice President, the sitting Vice President whose former company continues to get NO-BID contracts to build whatever you and your Vice President first decide to destroy in Iraq, decided to attack Iraq. You chose to use America’s faith in its leaders, it faith in you, its need for revenge for September 11, its need to know it could once again be safe, to not solve the problem, the fanatics of AlQaeda, Bin Laden and his team – you instead gave them the best gift ever, a whole nation of oil-rich, ethnically divided, centrally located, Iraq, as a place to set the world on fire – while you poured oil on it.

We have lost almost 2500 more Americans in Iraq, hundreds more in Afghanistan, hundreds more who have committed suicide, and 25000 injured troops whose lives will never be the same.

But, sadly, on this Memorial Day, most of our nation is worried about whom to vote for in the next American Idol, and if the barbeque is at the right temperature. Others are more worried about demanding a personal monument to loved ones who died in the World Trade Center, but, what makes this Memorial Day less than memorable is that our troops, willingly dying, giving their lives for our nation, in Iraq and Afghanistan, do not even get the honor of being saluted and welcomed back when they arrive one final time, in a flag draped coffin to be laid to rest.

I dedicate this day to the memory of all those who fought for this great nation, and gave their lives, and those who are doing so to this day. I say God Bless You for serving your nation in the heat of Iraq while your country men cook burgers in their backyards, and your President and Vice President do everything they can to make Haliburton and Exxon-Mobil rich. Please take care of yourselves, because, God knows, if you die, not only will your family get less money than the Exxon CEO made in ONE DAY, we will fly your body back in cover of darkness… some day we may give you a memorial. Until then, stay safe, this Memorial Day.